Thirstease Issue III by Netmagnetism

On Saturday night, our homie and long-time friend, Netmagnetism, collaborated with artist ANDYOLD to curate an exhibit at Capsule in Markham. This is the third (and apparently final) instalment of the annual art show that the duo will host. The idea around the event is relatively basic. When explaining to a few non-sneaker-interested friends before attending, I described it as “kind of like an art show and shoe display rolled in to one”, but it was so, so much more. Netmag did a great job of keeping the entire surprise under wraps, and the shock factor was definitely present.

When I walked through the doors of Capsule and I saw the display, my jaw literally hit the floor. My eyes widened. I could barely comprehend what I was looking at. Capsule’s entire glass display shelf was completely filled with Supreme Dunks. It is hard to put in to words exactly how impressive this display was. 24 pairs of each colour – white, black, and red – were represented in every condition from brand new, to completely beat up.

Net’s explanation of the inspiration behind the display was almost as cool as the display itself. The landscape of the sneaker community has changed drastically in the last decade and a half. Shoes went from sitting on shelves to having hour-long waits just for raffles. These shoes are now considered grails, and would never be found sitting on a wall at a shoe store – so he wanted to do just that. Capsule was generous enough to lend their space to the cause, and the result was absolutely stunning.

On the art side of the spectrum, ANDYOLD created a handful of pieces inspired by some iconic Nike Dunks. The hand-painted pieces were displayed with the sneakers that they were influenced by. Andy did his damn thing on the paintings, and they were an awesome compliment to the huge sneaker display. The pieces were on sale for $160.00 a pop, which is a steal for a handmade painting.

In speaking with some of those at the event, it was clear that Netmagnetism has positively influenced a plethora of sneaker enthusiasts. I heard dozens of stories about winners in his $10.00 raffles, folks who obtained grails that they were unable to find until they met Net. No body had anything bad to say about the guy, and we echo those sentiments wholeheartedly. Although, on paper, he would be considered a reseller, he has such a strong sense of community, and that is what Canada Got Sole is all about. Thank you to Netmagnetism, Capsule, and ANDYOLD for having us, and congrats on an awesome exhibit.